


Sanctuary

by Mad_Mage



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Felines in love, Fluff, Growling Lannisters, Hear me Roar, Irritated big cats, Older Man/Younger Woman
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-27
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2020-09-27 23:38:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20416205
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mad_Mage/pseuds/Mad_Mage
Summary: He was too old to fall in love at first sight let alone with a girl so much younger than him yet… Yet, why should he try to stop it?





	1. A Knight in Crimson Armor

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome to a Tywin/Sansa modern AU one-shot. Hope you enjoy reading it.
> 
> Disclaimer: Nothing’s mine, I’m just a poor mad mage.

Tywin couldn’t believe his eyes. There was a person, stumbling along the side of the road, hunched forward in the pouring rain. He slowed down to a stop next to her and felt his jaw clench at the sight that greeted him when she turned to watch the car.

He supposed the girl was pretty – long auburn hair, currently plastered to her face, wide blue eyes, slim and willowy figure. She was quite tall for a girl. What was making his blood boil, however, was the lack of shoes on her bleeding feet and blooming purple bruises on her porcelain skin. Her upper lip was split and she was shaking badly in her short summer dress. Dark marks in the shape of hands were covering her arms and thighs, one around her neck, and bites marred her collarbone, disappearing in a disgusting trail down under her dress.

Her eyes flashed momentarily in fear until he lowered the window.

Tywin was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles were white and he couldn’t risk speaking otherwise he would roar at the poor thing in absolute rage. He had seen his fair share of victims of abuse in his lifetime; his company had always contributed to the right causes and when Joanna had been alive, he had accompanied her to various shelters and centers for the victims of abuse. It had been good for Tywin’s public image for one and despite the popular belief, Tywin did have a heart.

He swallowed and tried to relax his clenched teeth. Looking like a god of vengeance was not going to calm down the girl or help her in any way. Helping her was a decent thing to do. It hadn’t even crossed his mind he wouldn’t offer his assistance.

“Wouldn’t you like to get out of the rain?” he asked. His eyes didn’t stray from her face anymore, not while she was looking. Not to spook her, he offered only, “I can drive you to the nearest town.”

She glanced around the empty road. The rain continued to clatter around them, giving no indication of abating. Nightfall was fast approaching.

“You are safe with me,” he said softly in a tone he had used when his children had been small and scared of thunderstorms. “I’m not the kind of man who would raise a hand against a woman… Just let me get you out of the downpour, what do you say?”

She stared into his eyes for what seemed like an eternity and he wondered what she had seen in them. He honestly wanted to help her and projected as much sincerity as he could.

“Okay.” She took a shuddering breath and slipped into the car. “Okay.”

“There’s a jacket in the backseat. Feel free to borrow it.” He pulled from the side of the road and sped up doing his best not to glance at her shivering form. The dress was almost see-through.

“Thank you.” She reached for it and slipped it around her shoulders, pulling the lapels close to her. She was shivering violently.

He snorted and then cleared his throat. “That hardly warrants thanks. It’s just a jacket.”

“A very nice one. It’s going to get ruined.”

“I’m not concerned about that.” Tywin finally glanced at her and she caught his gaze.

“Do you need to see a doctor? Would like me to drop you at the police station?” he asked seriously as he fiddled with the heating controls. That’s where he would like to take her but he would do as she asked and he already suspected that there wouldn’t be police involved.

She shook her head. “Just a bar or something from where I can make a call.”

“As you wish.”

Tywin wanted to ask her what had happened to her and if she would want more assistance. The girl looked to be beaten pretty badly but not broken as a victim of rape usually was. She was keeping herself under tight control, unwilling to show any more of her previous fear. Yet when he reached around her to the glove compartment for paper tissues, she flinched.

Perhaps she was not a victim of an actual rape but attempted one. Tywin had to force himself to breathe through his nose.

“Sorry.” The whisper was so soft he had almost missed it.

“What for?” Tywin offered her the tissues. “The nearest town is just around the curve of the road. I’ll buy you a coffee and… Damn it!”

A sleek sports car whizzed by them, almost forcing Tywin into the ditch to avoid a collision as the car cut them up. The girl gasped and bit her fist when she saw it. Tywin followed it with his eyes until it disappeared from sight.

“That was the bastard, wasn’t it?” he growled. She had clearly recognized the car and her reaction to it gave the rest away.

“Yeah, that was him.”

“Did he… _hurt_ you?”

She glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, shame coloring her pale cheeks. “Tried to. I kneed him and then smashed a vase over his head. Then I ran… should have put a coat and shoes on, though.”

“Probably.” He smiled at the self-deprecating amusement he had heard in her voice. She was a resilient creature, wasn’t she? Had put up a decent fight and won. He considered asking her what her name was. She seemed to be an interesting young woman and he could imagine that he would quite enjoy getting to know her better.

They continued in silence but Tywin slowed when he noticed that the sports car was parked in front of the only restaurant in the whole damned town that was open on a lazy Sunday afternoon. They were in the literal middle of nowhere.

“I suppose you don’t want to meet him there.” Tywin wouldn’t mind meeting the man who put those marks on the girl’s body. He was quite confrontational by nature, as his wife had often said, and a little confrontation right now could do wonders for his temper.

“No…”

He nodded and remembered the license number, already envisioning how Mr. Clegane would be happy about his new assignment. Tywin truly abhorred violence against women and when a lady said no, it meant no. Someone had to learn that lesson and was going to – unexpectedly soon.

“I’m afraid I don’t have my phone with me,” he started. He had been enjoying a little getaway from King’s Landing and he usually left his phone at the cottage when he went for a drive through the wilderness of the Stormlands. “Perhaps I could invite you to make use of my coffee machine and then the phone? But only if you will promise not to smash vases over my head.”

“You don’t seem like I would have to do something like that.”

“You never know. Did your friend here seem violent?”

She shook her head and the mood took a serious turn. Tywin sped past the car and then turned the corner and went back using a minor road. “I’m generally not considered a good listener, just ask my children, but I would listen and offer no judgment if you liked to talk. You look like you could benefit from it.”

“I wouldn’t want to bother you more than I already have.”

“If you knew me, you would know that I don’t say things I do not mean.”

The girl smiled at that. She turned to regard him with those blue eyes of hers – there were small sparks coming back to life in them and Tywin felt unexpectedly smug that _he_ had been the one to put them back. Despite those bruises, she was quite beautiful – and too young for him to be thinking it. She was younger than his children.

“I’m Sansa Stark.”

Tywin snorted quietly and shook his head. Careful not to startle her, he offered her his right hand while he kept the other one firmly on the steering wheel. “What a small world we live in, Sansa. I’m Tywin Lannister.”

It was her turn to make an amused sound and she took his hand and squeezed his fingers while shaking his hand. She held it for a moment longer than was necessary before she let go of it. “It looks like it.”

The Starks and his son-in-law Robert ran together a successful business but Tywin had not expected to meet one of them in some Stormlands backwater. They were either hiding up in the North or braving the chaos of King’s Landing. He was even more curious what had happened to Sansa and who the driver of the pretentious car had been.

“I feel like I should insist on offering more assistance,” he said. “Now that we’ve established that I am not going to hurt you and that I am not, in fact, a complete stranger.”

“The coffee and perhaps a shower would be fine.”

“What about clean, dry clothes?”

“That, too.”

They smiled at each other and spent some minutes in silence. Sansa relaxed visibly in her seat but tremors here and now still wracked her body. Tywin checked the time. Eight p.m. He would feed her dinner and insist she would stay the night. Tomorrow, he could take her to King’s Landing with him if she would like.

“He asked me out several times and I turned him down,” she started suddenly. “But he was stubborn and handsome and I thought I knew him well and that it might work out. So I agreed to a little _trip_.”

“What happened?”

“It wasn’t working out.” She chuckled mirthlessly. “There wasn’t any spark if you know what I mean. Then the weather worsened and we stayed scooped up in the cottage he rented. He’s been drinking since morning and then… Well, I’ve already covered that.”

“A knee, a vase, a run.”

“Yeah.”

“Hmm.” He glanced at her and Sansa returned his gaze for a second, her lips forming a small smile. There certainly seemed to be a spark between _them_. Should he act on it? Sansa didn’t seem to be too traumatized by her experience – but she was from the North and of the resilient Stark blood. Those people were unflappable.

Tywin turned to a dirt road, his off-roader smoothly dealing with the change of surface without a hitch. Only an idiot would drive a sports car into the Stormlands, he scoffed as the car continued uphill. It took them ten more minutes before they reached his sanctuary. Tywin was proud of his getaway house. It was situated in the mountainside, surrounded with forests but facing the view in the valley below. The cottage was a newly built thing made of solid wood with open terrace and large windows.

“Oh, that’s very nice!” breathed Sansa in surprise. He didn’t allow her time to gawk, however. Instead, he opened her door, took one glance at her ruined feet and grimaced.

“It will hurt,” he said and offered his hand. Sansa copied him, grimacing, and tried to put weight on her feet, hissing as she stepped on the left one.

“I don’t think I can walk,” she said and sat back into the seat, frustrated with herself for being so stupid and running off shoeless in the first place.

They were standing in the pouring rain in front of his warm house and looked at each other, the air between charged with electricity. It was ridiculous to get soaked through so close to his home. Deciding to test if the spark could lead to something more, Tywin smirked.

“Come here.” He stepped closer to her and scooped Sansa up into his arms effortlessly. “I should have brought you straight to the nearest hospital.”

“Thank you.” Her arms went around his neck and Tywin’s hold on her tightened for a moment. He could feel the steady beat of her heart and her breasts pressed against his chest as she breathed. She put her head against his shoulder, nuzzling his neck and smelling him in the process. It had been some time since he held a beautiful woman so close and it would have felt nice if she wasn’t chilled to the bone and bruised so badly. Adjusting his hold slightly, he asked, “Is this ok? Am I hurting you?”

“Hmm, it’s fine.”

He didn’t comment, kicked the car’s door closed and brought her to the front door of the cottage. “The keys are in my left pocket.”

Sansa looked at him for a moment before she bit her lower lip carefully. Her left hand let go of his neck and traveled to his pocket, her fingertips trailing along his side slowly. Tywin shivered.

“Ticklish?” she whispered against his ear.

“No.” It seemed that he wasn’t the only one willing to test what this thing between them was or where it could lead.

She found the keys and unlocked the door. He brought her upstairs to the bathroom and deposited Sansa on the counter, caging her between his arms. Her breathing quickened and as he tilted his head back to look at her, he smugly noticed that her pupils were blown wide.

“Am I making you uncomfortable?” Only half an hour ago she had flinched from him after all, and she had had a tiring day, to put it mildly. He doubted that she was ready to do anything more than testing his responses. That was fine with him – while he enjoyed the company of gorgeous women as any other man, taking them to bed after knowing them for less than a day wasn’t his style. It was disrespectful, vulgar – something Tyrion would do. In Sansa’s case, he thought he would enjoy the whole package – getting to know her, taking her to a theatre or snobbery galas. He hadn’t had caused a stir for quite some time and the best way to do it without causing a downright scandal was to appear with a beautiful woman on his arm.

“No.”

“You need to get warm. I’m going to draw you a bath,” he told her, licked his lips and then asked, “Would like me to join you?”

“The tub seems big enough.”

“That isn’t a no.”

Sansa smiled, “It isn’t.”

Tywin slowly lowered his face to give her time to react. Sansa tilted her chin to allow him better access and closed her eyes as their mouths met. He was mindful of the cut on her upper lip and caressed it with his tongue for a moment before deepening the kiss. Sansa hummed in approval. He agreed.

The kiss was slow and gentle but short. He needed to get her out of the wet clothes or she could catch her death.

“You are a brave little thing, aren’t you?” Tywin stepped away to regard her closely. “Kissing a stranger in his house – after what had happened to you earlier today.”

“You’re not a stranger and you’re _nothing_ like him,” she replied fiercely.

“Maybe.” He reached to the hem of her dress and tugged. “This needs to go, darling.”

“Help me?”

Tywin smirked and bunched the fabric up to her hips and then lifted her, his hands so very gentle on her bruised body, so she could pull the dress over her head. He took it from her and tossed it away. Seeing her perfect skin bruised on so many places made him hiss in anger.

“I will deal with the man who is responsible for this. He’ll regret ever laying his eyes on you in the first place.”

Sansa put her palm to his cheek and smiled up at him, her eyes watering. “See? Nothing like him at all.”

Catching the tears with his thumb before they could roll down her cheeks, he lightly traced the edges of the bruise. These responses the girl evoked in him – from the protectiveness and fury to this, this gentler and playful side of him. It was unsettling yet it also felt shockingly right. Brushing his lips against hers, he sighed. There would be time to ponder it later.

His forefinger traced the strap of her bra and then the hem of her panties. “I’m afraid this needs to go, too. Would you like some help again?”

Instead of answering, Sansa turned slightly. Tywin unclasped her bra and let it fall to the ground between them. Sansa faced him but he maintained eye-contact as he reached to pull down the strip of fabric covering her most private area.

She trusted him. Her face was open, honest, and her eyes held no traces of fear. Instead, he found in them curiosity and lightness, certain kind of wonder. Tywin supposed that Sansa saw some of those reflected back at her because she smiled. Despite her ruined face, it was a beautiful smile – like the sun rising above the clouds – and he realized at that moment what was happening with crystal clear clarity. He was too old to fall in love at first sight let alone with a girl so much younger than him yet… Yet, why should he try to stop it? He hadn’t felt it in so long he had almost forgotten what it was like, being in love.

Lifting her from the counter, Tywin turned and gently lowered Sansa into the enormous bathtub that had cost a small fortune. Reaching over her to run the water, he touched her shoulder with his free hand and waited until she looked him in the eyes.

“I’ll be back shortly. Try to make yourself comfortable.”

“I will, Tywin.”

Hearing Sansa using his name was startling but he liked the way it rolled off her tongue. With one last smirk, he left the bathroom. Leaving the door to the bedroom ajar, he moved downstairs to make a certain call.

His phone was waiting for him at the desk in his study and as he unlocked it, he poured a glass of scotch. Three rings later, Varys picked up.

“Good evening, Mr. Lannister. How can I be of service?”

“Varys,” he greeted brusquely. “I’m texting you a license number and I want you to find out who the owner is. How long will it take?”

“In half an hour at most, depends on where my contacts spend their Sunda-”

“You’ll inform me in ten minutes, I don’t have time to waste.”

“… Yes, Mr. Lannister.”

He ended the call and texted the number while he sipped his drink. Sansa’s bruises would heal in time but the very notion that someone had dared to do that to a woman was enough to make him seethe in anger. He would have dished out his brand of justice regardless of the development between him and the girl… But the man had harmed a woman who had engaged Tywin’s attention and the Great Lion didn’t take kindly if someone harmed what he considered his.

Finishing his drink, Tywin moved to the kitchen and prepared some fruits for Sansa to nibble at. His phone pinged and he smiled wryly when he saw that Vary had sent him a name. How long had it been? Seven minutes and a half. Wonderful.

His expression turned to stone as he read the message. Petyr Baelish, quite a prominent figure in certain circles of King’s Landing, bad reputation with lots and lots of enemies.

Tywin made another call.

“Yes?” A deep voice growled.

“Gregor, are you in King’s Landing?”

“Yes.”

“I have a name for you. See to it that Littlefinger is unable to use his little finger any longer. I don’t care if you maim him some more just make sure he lives to regret ever touching what is mine.”

“I’ll see to it, Mr. Lannister.”

The line went dead. Gregor was a man of only a few words but he was the most effective tool Tywin had at his disposal when he needed to remind the seedy underworld of King’s Landing who actually owned the city.

Feeling much better, Tywin returned upstairs. The water was no longer running but the bathroom seemed too still for his lining. He strode inside and an amused smile played at the corner of his lips. Sansa was asleep with her head and arms propped against the edge of the tub, bath foam covering every part of the rest of her body.

“Stupid girl could have drowned herself,” he muttered, put the plate of fruit away and grabbed a large fluffy towel. “Come on, Sansa, it’s time to move this to the bed, don’t you think?”

“Hmmpfff,” Sansa responded, opened her eyes and blinked at him sleepily. “Tywin?”

“Try to get up from the water, darling.”

Sansa pulled herself up and sat at the edge with her feet still in the water. Tywin wrapped her up in the towel from behind and then lifted her into his arms. “Are you warm enough?”

“I think so.” She closed her eyes, exhaustion quickly taking over. “Hmm, this is nice.”

“If you say so.”

Sansa Stark looked good on his bed, snuggled under his covers with her long wet hair dripping water onto his pillows and her tired eyes peering up at him. Tywin decided he would keep her there for as long as she was willing. He slipped his clothes off, aware that she was still watching, and joined her in the bed. “We need to keep you warm.”

“I’ve heard that body heat is the best for that.” She shuffled slowly closer and he wound his arm around her and helped her along the way. Her pace would have put a snail to shame.

“Tired?” he asked and breathed her in. She smelled like his shampoo and honey bubble bath and the morning after a storm and he quite liked the mixture of smells on her.

“A bit.”

“Go to sleep then. I’ll be there when you wake up.”

“Will you take me out to dinner when I wake up?”

“Perhaps not _immediately_ after you wake up but in the foreseeable future? Yes, we’ll go out for dinners.”

“Oh, great, that sounds… really… really… great…”

It did, Tywin agreed as he watched Sansa to fall asleep. He stayed awake for a few minutes before the warmth of her and her steady breathing lulled him to close his eyes and he followed her into the land of dreamers.


	2. Staking Claims

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn’t resist revisiting this particular AU after receiving so much encouragement to continue this story. Thank you all and enjoy :)

There were several reasons why Tywin had decided to build the cottage in this part of the Stormlands. The density of local forests together with the rocky terrain and weather made sure that nature stayed mostly intact. The air was clean and fresh and smelled of resin and rain. The place wasn’t too far from the capital – an only two-hour drive – and the population in this mountain region was sparse.

He liked the privacy most of all.

Light footsteps padded the stairs and then he heard them stop in the open the door to the terrace. He smiled into his mug and remained motionless, looking down into the valley below them, offering her the opportunity to ogle him without interruption. The poor girl hadn’t gotten her chance yesterday.

“Nice view,” commented Sansa flippantly after ten or fifteen seconds of silence and joined him. Her fingers trailed a gentle path down his bare back from his shoulder blades to his waist where she skimmed the leather of his belt before snuggling to his side. There was no hesitation in her movements or words – just like he expected. She was grinning when he looked down at her and Tywin smirked. The girl was wearing one of his white dress shirts with sleeves rolled up and only halfway buttoned and thick socks on her injured feet.

“I see you’ve raided my wardrobe.” He wound his arm around her and tucked her even closer. It was ridiculous how well she fitted there, their heights were perfect for it. He briefly considered kissing her but decided against it. At his age, he had already learned the lessons of morning breath and Sansa was hardly a blushing virgin either as her lack of trying to initiate a kiss suggested. “How are you feeling? Cold? Headache? How are your feet?”

“Not everyone can run around naked in this weather, Tywin. And I feel fine, not even a runny nose. See? I can even walk on my own again. Someone has taken good care of me.” Sansa gave him a sweet, heart-melting smile. Then she glanced at the mug and sniffed, asking hopefully, “Is that coffee?”

“I am wearing more articles of clothing than you, Sansa, and it’s not a cold morning. By Stormlands standards, it’s quite warm.” Trailing his eyes down her form, he winked. “I would return your previous compliment and say that my shirt looks much better on you than on me, but I’m certain you already know that. We don’t need to get into any more clichés, do we?”

He offered her the mug, watching her take a sip, as a smile tugged at the corners of his lips.

“Oh my gods, this is so good!” she closed her eyes to savor the taste better. When she blinked them open, she was grinning. “What clichés come to mind?”

Her face was glowing in the morning sun, eyes full of sparks. They were incredibly blue and the way she was looking at him… At that moment, he felt like her knight in shining armor. Tywin tucked a lock of fiery hair behind her ear and touched the edge of the bruise on her cheek, his expression darkening slightly. In the light of a new day, the reality came back. His weekend was over and Tywin was needed back in the office. There were matters to be discussed with this wonderful creature.

Their meeting and newfound closeness wasn’t a temporal thing, not for him, and it seemed that she shared his opinion. However, he couldn’t be really sure how Sansa felt about their situation without asking. Only a fool would assume and Tywin needed to let her know that he had every intention to see her again. He didn’t do casual; Tywin couldn’t afford it with the public breathing down his neck every second of every day. Sansa was much younger than him and while it wasn’t an issue for Tywin, it could present problems for them in general. She didn’t seem to be skittish but the pressure of being seen with him might be deterring. He felt obliged to warn her.

“Tywin?” She sensed the shift in his mood and traced her fingers against his own cheek, mirroring his previous actions. He took hold of her hand and squeezed it.

“I’m heading back to King’s Landing after breakfast. Would you like to talk before or after eating?” He was carefully observing her face, the play of emotions in her eyes.

“What do we need to talk about?” she asked, observing him with the same amount of caution. Something in her eyes flickered and died as a candle snuffed in a draft. He couldn’t have that. Did she believe that it was _him_ who treated their situation as something temporal, easily forgotten in a few days time? An easily corrigible mistake.

“When you will be free to accompany me to the dinner we have talked about, for example,” he said, stole his mug back and smiled at her. “Of course, I need to warn you – once you are seen with me, you lose your privacy. Keeping that in mind, it would be probably best to avoid public settings until…”

Tywin breathed out through his nose, brushing his fingertips over the bites on her collarbone. He disliked the very idea of Baelish _marking_ Sansa’s skin against her will. A woman wasn’t cattle to be marked in such a fashion for all to see. It was primitive. Tywin was a private man with a public image to uphold. If he was going to taste Sansa like this, the bites would be for his eyes only – he wouldn’t need to mark her as his so obviously. There were other ways to stake a claim.

She caught his hand and kissed the palm. “Afraid what people would say?”

“I don’t concern myself with what mindless sheep think but imagine your father’s reaction when he opens the newspaper and sees a picture of me and you with _these_ and then reads a disgusting, two pages long speculation about us.”

Sansa grimaced and put her head on his shoulder, hugging him lightly. “That wouldn’t be good, you’re right… but have you ever heard of the wonders of make-up?”

Her words forced a laugh out of Tywin and he put the coffee on the banister and wound his arms around Sansa, kissing the top of her head. The lightness she brought him was such an unusual feeling. He could get addicted to it.

“I’m not afraid to be seen with you, you know,” she mumbled into his chest, wet lips pressing against warm skin. Her hand moved up from his waist to touch his face and she tilted her head back, her hand gently trailing the line of his jaw and chin, grazing his short beard with her fingers. Sansa’s eyes bore into his with conviction. “When you kissed me, I… well, this will sound crazy… but I knew that I was in all the way.”

Brave little lady, wasn’t she? Tywin thought. What was more, she was _his_ by her own admission, willing to go and do what it took to continue to explore their connection, build it into something more.

“We are in for an interesting journey, then, Sansa Stark.” Tywin caught her hand, kissed each of her knuckles and then leaned down and pressed his lips against hers for a moment. Deliberating for a second, he then added with a small smirk, “I’ve decided to keep you.”

“Keep me?” she feinted indignation but her twitching lips gave her away.

“Yes.”

He could get addicted to _her_ – her laughter, her taste, her closeness, her love one day. Tywin should be more careful with his heart, that old stubborn thing which hadn’t beaten for another person for so long…

“Well, alright.” Sansa pecked his cheek, slipped under his arm and made her way toward the door. Her cheeky voice floated over her shoulder. “Now, stop distracting me and put on a shirt, please. I’ll make us something to eat.”

Oh, it was already too late for carefulness, wasn’t it? Chuckling, Tywin followed her. The conversation had been easier and quicker than he had thought. He should remember to speak plainly when dealing with the Starks. “Am I distracting you? The kitchen is on the left.”

“You know you are, Mr. Lannister.” Sansa turned and let her eyes rove around his torso for a second. “And stop being so smug about it.”

“Cheeky girl,” he muttered as she disappeared from his sight but he decided to be a good boy and put some more clothes on. Tywin had hardly been a shy child and he hadn’t grown into a man who was easily disconcerted or embarrassed or unsure of himself – quite the opposite. The high opinion Tywin Lannister had about himself was also going to get only higher if a beautiful young woman was admitting that the sight of his body was distracting her. While he wasn’t a youth anymore, he wasn’t old and decrepit yet and had the powerful physique of a swimmer who had regularly braved the strong currents around Casterly Rock since he had been a small child.

Now, this was a thought to consider for a later time; Sansa on the private beach under Casterly Rock, preferably without any swimwear. There was a shallow spot sheltered by rocks where the water was calm and heated by the sun… ideal for all sorts of… activities.

Tywin went upstairs with slow, measured steps, the smile still lingering at the corners of his mouth. He stopped at the door to his bedroom. The room looked actually lived-in and it forced him to lean against the doorframe and look around with more care. His clothes from yesterday were still piled on the floor next to his side of the bed. He hadn’t had _his_ side for years. The covers were a mess and the pillows on Sansa’s side looked still slightly damp – she preferred to use him as her pillow anyway.

What the hell was he thinking he’s doing? Tywin wasn’t an easy man to love. His children could attest to that. His late wife had been a rare find, willing to overlook the less pleasant aspects of his personality and see the good in him. Asking someone as young as Sansa Stark to do the same could and probably would backfire quite spectacularly. Once the rose-colored glasses fell off, she was bound to be disappointed by the hard edges of Tywin’s character which had taken a momentary backseat.

It was easier to be open, affectionate and playful away from King’s Landing in his remote cottage in the middle of nowhere. This was his sanctuary. In the capital, Tywin had a business to run and a reputation to uphold.

He hadn’t been celibate since Joanna’s death, of course, but he hadn’t been in a serious relationship for more than a decade. Tywin hadn’t simply been interested enough in his partners to try for one… and here he was being upset by the sight of an unmade bed.

Nonsense, he scoffed. The brightness that Sansa brought him? He wanted to keep that – planned on keeping her just like he had said – and he was a determined man. Picking up his clothes, he neatened the room mechanically. Then he put a fresh shirt on and wandered back downstairs, joining Sansa at the table.

She eyed him warily. “What’s the matter?”

He was surprised only for a moment. Sansa was dangerously perceptive of his moods, it seemed, which could serve their future relationship quite well. He was often short with people who didn’t pick up on details and she certainly wouldn’t deserve to be on the receiving end of his ire.

“Just a few stray thoughts, my dear,” he replied.

“Heavy thoughts, it seems.” She reached up and traced the line between his eyebrows, smoothing the frown away. “You looked like a thundercloud when you entered… Now, that’s better. I like it when you smile.”

Closing his eyes, he leaned into the touch and then pulled her hand to his lips to kiss the palm softly. He couldn’t stop the next words even if he wanted to, “Only for you.”

“Then I’ll treasure it,” she said softly and smiled up at him. At that moment, Tywin knew with certainty that she truly was his to love and protect. No more doubts. Their personalities seemed to be well-matched, that was obvious even after the short amount of time they had spent together. She wasn’t a pushover and had her own claws she wasn’t afraid to use but the way she reacted to him? Sansa seemed to understand what only a handful of people had – it was a bad idea to prod the Great Lion of Lannister into talking when he did not want to elaborate, and her gentleness was disarming him in the most unexpected ways, awakening in him his own soft side… _taming_ the lion. There was no denying it – Tywin had fallen hard.

They ate their breakfast, drank more coffee and enjoyed each other’s company. It was past eleven when they left the kitchen. Sansa then raided his wardrobe once more, borrowing his undershirt this time. and made it look like an exceptionally short dress.

“You’re not wearing underwear,” Tywin remarked with a smirk as he locked up the cottage. He opened the door for her as she slipped into the passenger seat.

“No, I’m not.” Sansa caught his eyes and held them for a second before fastening the seatbelt. He hadn’t missed the twinkle in them.

“Naughty.” Tywin started the car and traced a circle around her knee lightly. There was a faint mark on it from her kicking Bealish. “One would think you are asking for trouble, Ms. Stark.”

“Am I?”

“Oh, definitely.”

After they left the dirt road, Sansa grabbed his hand and not so subtly planted it on her thigh. Tywin kept it there for most of the ride, sometimes simply resting his palm on her leg, sometimes tracing light patterns with his fingertips into her skin, once or twice squeezing and kneading the muscle, avoiding the bruises.

It would take weeks for those to disappear. He hoped to hear from Gregor soon.

They spent the car ride talking. Tywin wanted to know the girl who had captured his attention and possibly heart in a manner of minutes and hours. She was exactly 29 years younger than him. She had studied journalism. She had pulled herself through university without her family’s money, taking odd jobs in coffee shops, and now worked for a small lifestyle magazine. She liked creating her own fashion designs as a hobby. Her family loved her. Her wolf-dog named Lady had been a sweet-natured giant shedding fur all over Sansa’s room when she had been growing up in Winterfell. They had run in the mornings and taken long walks in the evenings before the faithful dog had died of old age.

He was as forthcoming as he was able about himself in return but Sansa didn’t seem to be interested in his company dealings, his travels, or his experiences. She wanted to know about his children – namely Jaime and Tyrion – since she already knew about Cersei more than Tywin did these days. His replies were rather short. Tywin had been a distant father and wasn’t a permanent fixture in his children’s lives. Despite living in the same city, they met only sporadically.

His mood darkened when they lapsed into silence and he had a moment to brood about his offspring. Sansa cradled his hand between both of hers and started playing with his fingers, tracing the lines on his palm, observing his hand as if it was the most fascinating thing in the world.

“I like your hands,” she said finally. They had just entered the city and Tywin noticed that an unremarkable black sedan joined them, following them closely. His security detail. How he hated King’s Landing.

“Do you?”

“Yes. It’s the first thing I notice about the people I meet.” She lifted his hand up and pressed her own smaller one to it, palms touching. “You have beautiful hands.”

In reply, Tywin laced their fingers together. “Where to, my lady?”

“Just drop me somewhere on your way to the office, I can find my way home from the-”

“Absolutely not.” Tywin scowled at her. What was she thinking? What did she take him for? Baelish? She had been the victim of attempted rape and she wanted him to drop her somewhere in King’s Landing on a busy Monday afternoon? While he was glad to know what a resilient creature Sansa was, he was personally seeing her to her damned door.

Seeing his expression, Sansa gave him her address and in another ten minutes, he parked in front of a decent looking block of apartments in a quiet neighborhood. He was pleased but he didn’t expect anything else from her.

Sansa gave him a small smile. “Thanks for the ride.”

“I wasn’t about to let you walk in _that_ through the city.” He tugged at the undershirt she wore. “Shoeless, underdressed, without any vases to bash over people’s heads.”

She chuckled and leaned close to him for a kiss. Tywin obliged and one of his hands found its way to the nape of Sansa’s neck, holding her in place as he gently kissed her. The cut would heal sooner than the bruises and he couldn’t wait to explore her mouth more thoroughly.

He wasn’t a teenager to spend any amount of time kissing a girl in his car, so he reluctantly released her and leaned back. The slightly dazed look Ms. Stark was sporting made him smirk.

“Do you have a way inside your apartment?” If not, he could have it sorted in a matter of minutes.

“Yeah, the janitor has a spare key.”

“Good.” Tywin nodded and then tilted his head to the side, observing her for a moment. He didn’t feel like letting her out of his sight but both of them had things to do. He had to get back to the office – Kevan was probably already getting all jumpy about his absence. He had said to expect him back before lunch. Sansa needed to sort out her affairs – he supposed she had left her identification and phone and the rest of her things with Baelish and needed to consider them lost.

Sansa’s expression indicated that she wasn’t looking forward to the next few hours, her eyes had lost their light and she seemed downhearted.

“If you need my help with anything, just let me know,” he said, stressing out his sincerity by touching her cheek tenderly. “I hope you know that.”

“No, no, thank you, I’ll be fine…” She bit her lip, avoiding looking him in the eyes.

“What is it?” His forefinger slid down Sansa’s cheek to her chin and he gently turned her head back to look at him. He wasn’t the only one attuned to sensing mood shifts in their relationship. “Tell me.”

“I don’t feel like… I don’t… This will sound stupid.” She heaved a sigh and closed her eyes so she wouldn’t have to look at Tywin. Stubborn girl, hadn’t she realized that no one said no to Tywin Lannister?

“Now you’ve piqued my interested and I’m afraid I won’t let it rest.” He aimed for a light tone but ended up sounding quite serious. “What is it, Sansa?”

“I feel safer in your company,” she admitted finally and glanced at him from the corner of her eye. “And I don’t want to say goodbye.”

Tywin smiled at that, caressing her jawline. He couldn’t very well tell her that there was no reason to fear Petyr Baelish because the man was most likely very _busy_ right now but Sansa had unknowingly alerted Tywin to another fact. The city was brimming with human garbage. She would need security, especially after she would be seen with him.

“This is hardly a goodbye, darling,” he said and pressed a light kiss to her lips. “I can have one of my personal bodyguards to stay with you until I pick you up for dinner if you would like that.”

“Bodyguards?” Sansa echoed with wide eyes. “You have bodyguards? Like… Right now? Where?”

“The car over there.” He pointed in their general direction. “A man of my standing cannot afford to be on his own in a place like this, darling.”

“Oh my gods, they’ve seen us kissing?”

“Most probably.” He wasn’t smiling, yet, but amusement was clearly shining in his eyes.

“They’ve seen the bruises!”

It wasn’t something Sansa should be ashamed of. Tywin’s lips pursed into a thin line and his eyes flickered over her face. The marks were impossible to miss. “Most definitely.”

She covered her eyes and cried softly, “Tywin!”

He pried Sansa’s hands away so he could see her face. Aiming for a teasing tone, he spoke, “I thought you were not afraid to be seen with me?”

“That’s not it! I don’t want them to-” Sansa, to his utter surprise, was genuinely distraught and he wondered if he was just witnessing a delayed reaction to the stress of yesterday. Her reluctance and fear to part with him earlier indicated that she wasn’t as over Baelish’s action as she had looked. This panic attack only confirmed it.

“You look like a woman who had survived a difficult situation,” he said firmly, staring into her tearful eyes. Her breathing quickened and she chocked, prompting him into action.

“Come here.” Tywin pulled her into his lap, lifting her easily. With one hand, he moved the seat back to give them more space. The other one cradled Sansa’s head, his fingers tangling into her hair before he wound his arms around her, holding her tightly as great sobs wracked her body. Tywin closed his eyes, jaw clenched, as a wave of rage shot through him. If he were a violent man, he thought darkly, he would have killed Littlefinger with his bare hands for hurting Sansa. Knowing that Gregor was working on his assignment in that very moment calmed him slightly and he managed to breathe through his nose several times. Cradling her close, keeping her protected in his embrace, Tywin murmured into her hair, “You’re safe with me,” over and over again.

When she stopped crying and just cuddled closer, he continued in a deep, soothing voice, “It made you stronger, my dear. You fought and you won and you have nothing to be ashamed of and nothing to be afraid of. I will not let anything like that happen to you again. Do you hear me? I will not let anything like that happen to you ever again.”

“You can’t know that,” Sansa whispered.

Tywin grimaced, glad that she couldn’t see his face. She was right. Once upon a time, he had sworn to the gods to love and protect his wife. Tywin had _sworn_ it. Joanna had still died and he had been powerless to stop it – no amount of money or influence had mattered.

“I know that I’ll do whatever I can to keep the promise, Sansa,” he amended seriously.

She remained silent but her hands snaked around him and she returned the embrace. He kissed her temple.

“Thank you. It seems I can’t stop saying that these days.”

“You don’t have to thank me for anything. It’s my pleasure.”

They stayed tangled together for several minutes until Sansa’s breathing returned to normal and her heartbeat settled. When Tywin was certain that the worst was over, he gently lifted her head and smiled into her reddened eyes. Even now he thought she looked beautiful.

“Are you better, now?”

“Yes.”

“I’d like you to meet with a specialist to help you deal with the trauma,” he said seriously and waited for her reaction. Sansa was an intelligent woman so he hoped she wouldn’t take it as an insult. “Will you consider it?”

Her eyes flickered between his, and Tywin could see the wheels in her mind turning. It wasn’t in Tywin’s nature to wait for others, he was the one in lead under most circumstances naturally assuming control, but seeing a professional had to be Sansa’s decision. He respected that no matter how much he wanted to help her deal with the aftermath of her ordeal.

She bit her lower lip and then nodded. “I think it couldn’t hurt.”

“Good. I can arrange the details…?” he trailed off, still unwilling to spook her. Sansa wasn’t timid or shy but he had found her to be of an easy-going, gentle nature – submissive even. Tywin couldn’t help but think about their families’ sigils as he revisited his thoughts from the morning. They were both old money and even though they weren’t living in the Middle Ages anymore and didn’t go around calling themselves aristocracy, the lions and wolves still did a fairly good job at representing their families. In a lion pride, the leader fended off intruders, protected the pride in which every lion had its own place and designed role. In a wolf pack, every animal also knew its place and was either dominant or submissive.

“If you would, please,” Sansa answered softly and touched a tear-soaked spot on his shoulder. “I can’t keep ruining your shirts like this, can I?”

They really were a well-matched pair in terms of their personalities. He smiled at her reassuringly and said, “Shirts are the last thing I concern myself with. Now, my dear, I’m going to call one of my men over and leave him with you, ok?”

“Ok.”

Tywin brushed his thumb over her cheek before he looked out of the window and lowered it, waving once at his men.

Unexpectedly, the head of Tywin’s security hopped out of the car and approached. His eyes took in the unusual sight of his employer cradling protectively an unknown young woman only briefly before he focused on Tywin. “Hello, Mr. Lannister, miss. It’s good to see you back, sir.”

The words prompted Sansa to glance in the bodyguard’s direction with a red face. “Hello.”

“Addam, this is Sansa Stark. Sansa, darling, this is my security head, Addam Marbrand.” Tywin glanced at the man, caught his eye, and then meaningfully looked back at Sansa’s battered body. “I want you to keep Ms. Stark company for today and help her with whatever she will need.”

“Of course, Mr. Lannister,” he said, nodding. He offered Sansa a small smile which the girl in Tywin’s lap returned with watery eyes.

“Sansa,” Tywin spoke and she shifted her attention back to him. “Addam will make sure you are protected while I’m at the office. He’ll also gladly help you with anything you may need. Is it acceptable?”

“I appreciate it.” She managed a weak grin. “Thank you, Tywin. Addam.”

“It’s absolutely no problem, Ms. Stark,” replied the bodyguard in a friendly tone, foregoing his usual detached professionalism in order to make her feel more at ease. Addam wasn’t simply a man Tywin had hired, he was loyal to a fault and was with the family for two decades. Tywin knew that he could trust the man with something as precious as Sansa – he was well equipped to deal with any sorts of threats and issues they might encounter now or in the future.

Seeing Sansa’s resolve to act as normally as possible, Tywin was glad to see some of her spirit returning and the corner of his lips lifted slightly in an indication of a smile. “Good. Dinner at eight?”

“Sounds good.” Sansa leaned closer to peck him on the mouth and then started to disentangle herself from him. Addam opened the door and helped her out, glancing at her attire and the thick socks on her feet. The marks on her body had colored some more and were glaringly obvious in the afternoon sunlight – various shades of deep blue and purple now mottled her skin.

Tywin saw the man’s teeth clench and they exchanged curt nods. Yes, he could trust Addam with her life. He gathered his phone, keys, and wallet and exited the car. “I’ll leave you the off-roader, Addam.”

“Thank you, sir.”

“Sansa.” Tywin turned to his little wolf and grasped her hand gently for a moment. “Until later, my dear.”

“I can’t wait.” Her smile was genuine as she squeezed his fingers back and didn’t try to lean in for another kiss mindful of their surroundings. It was one thing to kiss in the relative privacy of the car – tons of people did that – and it was an entirely different thing to kiss in the broad daylight on a sidewalk. It was almost scary how attuned they were to each other.

He turned and marched to the sedan, glancing only once back. Sansa waved at him while Addam protectively hovered at her side as they made their way toward her building.

“Good afternoon, Mr. Lannister,” chorused his two remaining bodyguards. He nodded at them brusquely and slipped into the car.

“To the headquarters, gentlemen.” Unlocking his phone, he noticed two missed calls from Kevan. He messaged him that he’s on his way and looked out of the window for a second. Tywin’s mood took a downward turn as soon as he was out of sight of Sansa’s neighborhood and he clenched his fist, scowling. Shifting his phone from one hand to the other, he scrolled to Gregor’s number and pressed the call button. He wasn’t an impatient man but gods, he wanted to know that Littlefinger had been dealt with.

It took Gregor longer than usual to pick up.

“Hello, Mr. Lannister,” he said, sounding as if he had a stuffy nose. An unpleasant sense of apprehension settled over Tywin as he shifted in his seat.

“Tell me you’ve dealt with Littlefinger as instructed.”

There was a brief silence and then the man who was nicknamed the Mountain replied, “Can’t do that, Mr. Lannister. He got away.”

“He got away. How is it possible that he got away?” Tywin closed his eyes tightly and forced himself to take a long, slow breath to calm down. Gregor Clegane had never before failed to do as he had been told. He followed instructions to the letter – although Tywin needed to be very specific in some cases. The Mountain wasn’t known for his cleverness.

“Pepper spray.”

It took him a split of a second to comprehend the answer. Tywin was silent for several long moments after that, just breathing. The fingers of his free hand tapped against the pliable leather of the seat next to him. His bodyguards in the front pretended to be invisible.

“Did he break your nose in the process, Gregor?” he asked tersely.

“… yes.” The man sounded embarrassed as he had a reason to be; bested by a pimp two heads shorter than him. Tywin didn’t even want to know _how_.

Tywin drove his fist into the seat next to him. His bodyguards flinched, the driver starting so much that the whole car jerked. Glaring at the man murderously, Tywin forced through clenched teeth, “Fix this, Gregor. Is it clear?”

“Crystal, Mr. Lannister.”

He ended the call and tossed his phone to the side. Leaning back in his seat, he snorted disdainfully, “Pepper spray!”

Staring out of his window, he mused about the situation. Tywin didn’t think that Petyr Baelish would have enough balls to try and cause him troubles. Littlefinger didn’t have the means to pose a problem for him. If the man was smart, he was already as far away from King’s Landing as possible. However, Lannisters always paid their debts and Tywin had a score to settle with Baelish for touching Sansa, for hurting her.

If Baelish wanted a hunt, the Lion of Lannister was happy to give a chase.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hopefully, the chapter didn’t disappoint, I am slightly apprehensive about it… especially about Petyr. Mr. Baelish insisted on getting away and playing a bigger role… *sighs* Why the characters never behave? Is it just me? Or is it normal? That's the question, my friends... Anyway, thanks for reading :)


	3. Sealing the Deal (I)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tywin has a talk with a certain someone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve added chapter names and as you can see, this is just the first part of what would have been much longer chapter. More coming soon, promise *winks*

Sansa’s apartment was tiny. Tywin couldn’t believe that she managed to live there comfortably and that she was actually happy how cramped it was.

“Winterfell is huge,” she had said as if it should somehow explain the fact that Tywin could reach the ceiling by simply raising his hand and that when he spread out his arms in the middle of her kitchen, he touched the opposite walls with his palms. Not to mention the bathroom. He especially disliked the bathroom because there was no bathtub. Since the evening in his Stormlands cottage, Tywin was particularly interested in a bath that would include sipping good wine, nibbling fruit and cheese, and loving Sansa. Not necessarily in that order.

They had been seeing each other for a month now. Sansa’s visits with a discreet specialist – an old friend of Tywin’s – had progressed well and she had gotten over her trauma quickly. There was the blood of a wolf in her veins, after all. His initial apprehension to pressure her into anything she hadn’t been ready for had been gradually disappearing.

Tywin was quite certain that Sansa was trying to drive him mad with her small sweet smiles, lingering touches, and short dresses. The naughty girl even went as far as to foregoing underwear once or twice, giving him a decidedly wolfish grin when he had found out. He wasn’t a blind fool and could take the hint. The little she-wolf wanted him and a month seemed to be quite enough to confirm their mutual interest to move things along.

Now the Great Lion of Lannister was reduced to brooding alone in his office about her apartment without a tub because he wanted the first time to include that damned bath. He was seriously considering just inviting her over to his house – but that would open a completely different can of worms. A word about him seeing someone had already gotten out and paparazzi were playing at secret services all around his estate. Once or twice they even had the audacity to try and follow him around the city.

He wanted to spare her  _ that _ for as long as possible.

“Ty?” his brother’s voice interrupted his musing and Tywin glanced at Kevan. He stood in the door to his office and was giving him the look he often wore when he wanted to speak about personal affairs.

“Kevan. What do you want?” His tone was curt. Tywin wasn’t in the mood for anything remotely resembling conversation about his private life.

“I was just wondering if there wasn’t something you wanted to talk about?” he asked and went inside, closing the door. “If looks could kill, most of our employees would be dead by now. What’s bothering you? Is it that girl?”

The way he said it,  _ that girl _ , forced Tywin to clench his teeth and give Kevan one of his infamous murderous looks. He had been purposefully vague about his relationship with Sansa but his brother had always been too perceptive for his own good. He had somehow picked up on the small detail that Sansa was considerably younger than him. Tywin had never been one for texting – he sent texts mostly when he did not want to talk to the recipient, and yet he had spent a lot of time replying to texts because Sansa was like most of her generation quite comfortable with that mode of communication.

There was a slight reproach in Kevan’s words. They both remembered quite painfully the disaster of their father’s young mistress that had almost destroyed the family’s good name and fortune. They had worked hard for years to save the company, Tywin as the eldest dedicating his entire life to that goal. The fact that Kevan of all people would go and imply something like that…

“No,” he forced out through clenched teeth and proceeded to ignore his brother and sort out his newest emails. There was also the last quarterly report that demanded his attention and thirty pages of analysis explaining why the share prices had dropped in the last month. Tywin should focus on his work.

Kevan wasn’t deterred. He moved across the room and sat down in one of the chairs in front of Tywin’s desk, making himself comfortable. He slipped his phone from his pocket and started reading through his own work. Tywin sometimes forgot how annoying younger siblings were no matter how many years had passed since they had been children.

“I still think you look like someone who needs to talk about something. I’m your brother, Ty, I won’t judge you,” Kevan said after a long period of silence, his tone patient and mild.

“Won’t you?” Tywin snorted and glanced at him. “As if you haven’t been silently doing it for the past month. I’ve seen the looks you direct at me, you know.”

“Well, you don’t tell me anything, what am I supposed to think?”

“Perhaps you could mind your own business?”

They glared at each other but Kevan was the first to look away. His brother was a brilliant, trustworthy man but lacked Tywin’s natural forcefulness and deferred to him since they had been kids. He also knew how long Tywin was able to hold to grudges.

“I’m just concerned for you… Is that so bad?” Kevan changed tactics.

He heaved a long, annoyed sigh, and finally turned to focus on his brother. Tywin knew Kevan was sincere and actually cared about what was happening in the lives of the family which made it difficult to ignore him completely. There was also the little fact that he had to eventually introduce Sansa to the pride of lions he called family and having Kevan on his side would only help him deal with his children.

Should he tell him, though? Was he willing to share the existence of a significant other with his family quite so soon?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m not sure if you guys read The Wolf Queen, so to recap what’s been going on – I’ve injured my wrist(s) and writing was out of the question for a while. Now I’m to work on something new because I’m tired not doing anything fun, and this seems to be manageable a length for me. Hopefully, you like the new format because it is going to make an appearance in my other stories, too.  
Stay safe, love Mage : )


	4. Sealing the Deal (II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tywin’s chat with Kevan continues and our dear lion then arranges a date with certain someone *winks*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, short chapter due to my injury ;) Still, I hope you’ll have fun.

His brother was the most trustworthy member of their family and as he watched his sincere expression, Tywin made up his mind. He was hardly embarrassed by dating Sansa, even though their age gap would undoubtedly raise eyebrows – and catapult certain people from their seats, too. There’s also going to be a coronary or two, he had no doubt.

“Her name is Sansa,” Tywin conceded and waited for the inevitable. It wasn’t a common name. He actually didn’t know any other woman named like that. Bracing himself for his brother’s reaction, he added disinterestedly, “Ned Stark’s eldest daughter, if you were wondering.”

It was amusing to see a man like Kevan losing composure. He picked up his jaw from the floor after a moment of soundless gawking. Then he spluttered, “You are serious, aren’t you!”

“Quite… Does this put your mind at ease that I’m not turning into a senile old fool and she isn’t after my money?”

“Well, money be damned. Have you lost your mind, Ty? The Starks are the most prominent family in the North where, if I may remind you, we are trying to expand. You playing with one of them will come to bite us in the a-”

“That’s enough,” Tywin growled and Kevan fell silent, staring at him disbelievingly.

Tywin didn’t need to be reminded about that, he knew that very well. He also didn’t feel like explaining to anyone that he wasn’t  _ playing _ with Sansa who was absolutely uninterested in the world of business. He wasn’t suffering late midlife crisis – or any other sort of crisis – either. He was just irritated by the general setting of their society and the fact that he could not bring his girlfriend to his house without their pictures making the front page the next morning. Sansa was not used to that sort of attention and until she would specifically say that she was ok to go public, he would not force it on her. 

“You are serious about her,” he said, stunned. “I’ve seen you in love – albeit once – so I know that look, Ty! Don’t glare at me, it’s the truth! Gods!”

Then his stupid brother proceeded to grin. “I gave up on seeing you interested in anyone ever again. This girl must be quite something.”

She was but he wasn’t about to tell to Kevan ho right his annoying younger brother was. He had a feeling that his brother was having too much fun on his account already and Tywin decided not to grace him with an answer. “If you are quite finished, the door is over there.”

“Well, we still haven’t gotten to the heart of the problem, have we? What’s eating you?” Kevan shifted in his seat as if to stress out the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“You are  _ bothering _ me, Kevan, and keeping us both from doing our jobs.”

“So, you are more emotionally invested in the relationship than she is?” he asked, giving him a sympathetic look.

Tywin knew for a fact that he shared the same level of emotional investment with Sansa. They were maybe in  _ too _ deep, he often mused. They had known each other only for a very short amount of time but he couldn’t imagine not calling her on the days when they didn’t get to see each other. He couldn’t imagine not texting her back when she wished him a good morning. He liked to brood about the lack of bathtub in Sansa’s apartment because his mind was constantly occupied by thoughts related to her. The bath was actually not a real problem, was it? He just liked to spend time thinking about anything related to her.

Glancing up at his brother’s face, he frowned. Kevan was trying to rile him up, wasn’t he? Good gods, Tywin was lucky that their  _ sister _ wasn’t there. They had always liked to gang up on him. He didn’t pay him attention, picking up a pencil and one of the papers on his desk. Kevan would go away, eventually.

“Her family doesn’t agree?” Kevan guessed next and Tywin slammed the pencil down, making his brother wince.

“I mean, they would be  _ idiots _ if they voiced it openly…”

“Leave, now!” The tone alone was enough to send most of their employees running but the fact that Tywin’s voice rose angrily – he seldom resorted to shouting – informed Kevan that he had crossed a line. His brother wisely retreated, leaving Tywin to glare at the door.

Sansa’s family was aware that there was someone but she had wisely not given them any specifics either. After her younger sister had seen the bruises, Sansa had to confess that she had run into ‘a little bit of trouble’ and had been ‘rescued’ by a nice guy who she had started seeing, thus painting him in more flattering light than Tywin probably deserved. However, he was appreciative of her subterfuge.

They did not need anyone trying to interfere and give them their  _ opinions _ . Would it be too much to ask for some privacy while their relationship was still in the early stages? Tywin was tired of being a person of public interest, always subjected to someone’s scrutiny. As if their families weren’t enough, general public could take their thoughts and shove them.

Then the solution to his current frustration finally hit him and Tywin picked up his phone, calling Sansa’s number. It was so simple that he blamed his infatuation for not seeing it immediately.

“Hi, handsome!” Sansa’s cheerful voice immediately dispersed his uncharitable thoughts about old fools in love.

“Well, that’s a novel greeting, my dear. Should I come up with a new form of address for you as well?”

“No, no!” Her laughter echoed in his ears and Tywin’s lips twitched. “I just wanted to see if I could make you smile even from across the city. Are you?”

“Smiling?” he asked dryly.

“Yeah…”

“What do you think?”

There was a moment of silence before she stage-whispered, “I can hear it in your voice. Call me stupid, but gods, I can hear it.”

“Caught in the act, am I?” Tywin almost sighed into the phone. He closed his eyes to better picture Sansa’s expression, how her face would light up with that small victory of hers. It was ridiculous, the way she made him feel, but he welcomed every second of it.

“I’m not complaining. So, what’s up? I thought you had an important report to go through this morning.”

Tywin glanced disdainfully at his desk and the report. He considered saying that he couldn’t make himself read it through without something to look forward to at the end of the day – or  _ someone _ , more specifically. Gods, that sounded absolutely cheesy in his mind and would sound even worse if he spoke it out loud.

“Do you have any plans this weekend?” he asked instead. They usually met on the weekends at least for half a day, so he knew that he was one of her plans. Tywin just wasn’t sure if there weren’t any other things she needed to do. Sansa liked to visit her family and friends and he had occupied most of her free time lately. “Let me rephrase it – do you have any plans this weekend that can’t be moved?”

“Well, I have planned to meet this one guy…” she said slowly and this time he could hear her smiling.

“Oh, do tell.”

“I’m sure you know him…”

“Hmm, no, probably not.”

“Yeah, well, he’s this tall and handsome guy and he’s probably taking me out for dinner or something. I’m sorry, I can’t cancel that date.”

“That’s a pity. I wanted to whisk you away this weekend.”

“You did? Perhaps you should take it up with my date, then.”

“I will,” he replied seriously. After a moment, a burst of laughter was heard.

“Great, so where are we going?” Sansa’s excitement forced a short, amused huff out of Tywin and he shook his head, reclining back in his seat.

“Dress warmly and expect rain… and please, do consider putting on your shoes this time.”

“Your cottage?” she gasped and Tywin was glad to hear that his idea was met with approval. He remembered that she had seemed to like the house. “I can’t wait! I haven’t had the opportunity to explore most of it.”

“You’ve seen the most important rooms in the house anyway,” he said, paused and then his voice dropped as he purred, “But I’m sure you will find some time even for exploring other parts of the house.”

“You plan on keeping me busy, huh?” Sansa sounded slightly breathless.

“Yes.”

For a few heartbeats, they remained silent, just basking in the contentment of the moment. Then he heard someone calling Sansa’s name. She answered and then hurriedly said, “Ok, I can’t wait for our weekend, Mr. Lannister. Now, someone has to run that huge company of yours… and someone else has a meeting to get to. See you!”

“Until later.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing growly Tywin is probably one of my favorite things about writing for this fandom (the other is the wonderful fanbase and yeah, I mean all of you guys).  
I have the next part planned already, so it should be up pretty soon. Thinking up Ty and Sansa’s conversation for that inspired me for their May special (Under the Weirwood Tree series) and the short story is going to be from the ‘Sanctuary’ universe, taking place in the future when their relationship is more firmly established. That’s something to look forward to, I hope *grins*  
Stay safe, Mage :)


	5. Sealing the Deal (III)

When Tywin picked Sansa up, he was pleased to notice that she was more reasonably dressed than the last time she had headed out to the Stormlands. The summer was ending, which meant that the weather in the mountains was going to be much colder than a month ago.

“This is a different car,” she said, looking around the interior of his new offroad with a slight frown. Tywin simply nodded, checking the traffic in the outside mirror. In the last month, Sansa had seen and had been driven around in four different, unremarkable, and indescribable black company cars and he hoped that she was already used to that. When she kept looking at him expectantly, he sighed.

“I had to buy a new one,” he growled and as he shifted gears, Sansa took hold of his hand and cradled it in her lap, still smiling up at him.

“Ok.”

She didn’t push him but Tywin could almost feel her curiosity and with another annoyed sigh – not at her – he continued, “I have to change my personal cars regularly when the paparazzi figure out which ones I’m driving myself. When I’m behind the wheel, it means I’m going somewhere without most of my security and that’s interesting for them. For what purposes, I don’t know. It’s not like I’m going to break a life-long habit and cause a scandal just so they could record it.”

“What happens to your old cars?”

“I simply return them to the sellers. They kindly provide a new one and the cycle goes on.” He honestly had no idea why she was asking about that. Changing cars as other people changed socks was perhaps a tad unusual but Tywin liked his privacy and he could afford it.

She played with his fingers for a moment, biting her lower lip. “I liked that one, it was comfy and I felt safe in it… though it had probably nothing to do with the car and everything to do with the man driving it.”

Tywin’s lips turned upward and he glanced at Sansa to see her giving him a soft sweet smile. He often marveled at the way she perceived him. Did she really see him as her personal hero? He could hardly consider himself the sort of man young ladies would cast as dashing rescuers in their dreams. Tywin was too old for that and too shrewd. On the other hand, he was a man protecting his interests well and Sansa was one of those. He dared to think that she was much more than that.

“I’ll let Addam know how fondly you think of him.”

“Tywin!” Sansa laughed and shook her head and then they were speeding out of King’s Landing. The imperceptible tension in his shoulders that had accumulated during the morning left him in her lovely company. 

He took careful notice of when the car containing his bodyguards turned around and only then he relaxed fully. It meant that there was no one following him – and if there was, his men would take care of it. They were out of the city and he could leave his less pleasant thoughts behind and focus solely on Sansa. He would have her only for himself for a whole two days and Tywin couldn’t wait. It almost made him snort. Tywin had never expected to find himself in such a situation – smitten like a young boy – again but he wasn’t about to complain. He enjoyed it.

As had become their norm, they talked about their days. Sansa was slightly nervous because she was going to get a new chief editor and their identity had been a mystery for most of the staff. Tywin, in turn, told her that he and Kevan had figured out the probable reason behind the drop in the company share prices and were rectifying it. It smelled fishy and Tywin suspected that someone was trying to commit an assisted suicide. There wouldn’t be much left of the culprit once Tywin was done with them.

Talking to Sansa was easy and his children would most probably marvel at the fact that he was able to express himself without insulting the intelligence of other participants of the conversation. His children, Tywin scoffed inwardly, were so easy to rile up and managed to find something insulting in every word he usually spoke.

“I’d like to meet them, one day,” Sansa said after he had mentioned Tyrion’s latest book.

“What?” Tywin turned to look at her for a moment before he focused his attention back on the road. “Meet who?”

She ducked her head a little and smiled, glancing back up at him. “Your sons.”

Tywin remained silent for several seconds, unsure of how to respond. It was one thing to admit to Kevan that he was seeing Sansa. It was something completely different to bring her to meet his sons. He hardly saw them, they as a family kept in touch only sporadically, and while he was willing to concede that he was often curious about his children’s lives, the distance suited them all.

Lannister men were usually stubborn and hard to deal with – even Kevan, in some ways. His sons had spent the better portion of their lives – since reaching puberty – being difficult. They seemed to love annoying their father in every possible way.

“It was just a thought, Tywin,” said Sansa softly when his silence was too long. “I didn’t mean it like it has to be soon, or ever if you’re not comfortable with the idea…”

He looked at her from the corner of his eye. Sansa was blushing and there was something despondent about the way she observed his hand in her lap. It looked like he didn’t want her to meet his family, didn’t it? And it had disappointed her.

“I’m not sure you know what you are asking for, Sansa,” he sighed, disliking the very thought of dimming the light in her eyes. “I don’t see them often enough myself.”

He felt her squeeze his hand and then she brought it to her lips, pecking his knuckles. It was almost ridiculous how sweet her predisposition was and it was even more ridiculous how he reacted to it. “Well, perhaps when the right occasion arises, I could arrange a meeting.”

“Sounds good to me,” she said with a smile. “So, would you like to meet my family in return?”

Trying not to grimace, Tywin nodded. He supposed that if they were truly and fully going down that road, there was no other option. If Sansa wanted to step into the lion’s den for him, he would deal with a pack of wolves for her.

“They’re not that bad,” she promised, laughter making her voice light and breathy. Warmth spread through his body, originating somewhere in the middle of his chest. Another kiss landed on his palm. “Thank you, Ty.”

“My pleasure.” Tywin squeezed her fingers briefly, sending a small smile her way. It took very little to make Sansa happy and making her happy – now that was a sappy though – was making  _ him _ happy in turn. Tywin hadn’t been content like this in ages. He was certain that he was the one getting the better deal out of this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’m terribly sorry for not responding to comments and not posting anything in ages. I’m overwhelmed by work and my computer decided that it didn’t like the heatwave and stopped working. So, I had to break into the office to post this little piece of writing (and deal with everything I hadn’t managed to sort out yesterday, I admit).  
I’ll be around as soon as I can. In the meantime, I hope you enjoyed this. There’s going to be part four (bath time!) There’s also a wonderful Jaime chapter ready and Tommen is going to roar magnificently.  
Love you all and stay safe! Mage

**Author's Note:**

> I’m overwhelmed with your positive comments and responses to my other works, especially to ‘King of Winter,’ which I know is not a popular pairing. Thank you so much for welcoming me into this fandom : ) I’ve currently plotted myself into a corner with the other two stories, so I needed to clear my head and this modern thing is the result. Next chapter to ‘Colors’ should be up later this week, though, so it worked out for me : ) Thanks for reading and commenting and see you around… Cheers, Mad :)


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